ballard



PLAYING ATTAGHMEN Fon z|THERs. AEPLICAJION FILED MOY. 2l. i917.

Patented Aug. 2,6., 1.919.

-zlsHEETs-SHETZ.

forme/ys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRIE A. BALLARD, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PHONOHARP COMPANY, OF EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

PLAYING ATTACHMENT FOR ZITIIERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A110: 26, 1919.

Application led November 27, 1917. Serial No. 204,155.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HARRIE A. BALLARD, a citiZen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suii'olk and State of liiassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Playing Attachments for Zithcrs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to stringed musical instruments of the nature of harps or Zithers, and it has for its object to provide an improved playing attachment therefor, by which the spring hammers may be actuated and caused to vibrate against the strings and may be VheldV against vibration when normally at rest.

As embodied in the two forms of playing attachments illustrated upon the drawings, the spring hammers are connected to actuating members which are pivoted to move about an axis transverse to the strings, and in cooperative -relation to each member there is anV elongated stop which extends lengthwise of the hammer but between it and the associated string. When the ham mer is at rest in an inactive position, the stop engages the free end thereof and holds it against vibration, but, when the actuating member is actuated to impel the hammer head toward its associated string, the stop is moved to an inactive position where it does not interfere with the free vibration of the hammer head. The elongated stop may. constitute an integral part kof the hammeractuating member or it may be formed sepa-j4 rately so as to be capable of movements rela-'l tively thereto.

Referring to said drawings,-

Figure 1 represents in plan View one end of a Zither provided with a playing attachment embodying my invention. Y

Fig. 2 is a plan View partially in section of several hammers and actuatingr members, two of the hammers being broken off for' purposes of illustration.

Fig. 3 shows in section the end of the Zither body, and certain of the hammers and actuating members. One ofthe members and the associated hammer are shown with the hammer vibrating against the string.

F-ig. 4 illustrates a longitudinal section on the line 1 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 illustrates an end wa'll of the support.

Fig. G illustrates one of the spacers.

Figs. 7 to 12 inclusive show another embodiment of the invention, Fig. 7 illustrating aportion of the Zither and the playing attachment in I plan view. Figs. 8 and 9 show in plan and in side elevation several of the hammers and their associated actuating members. Fig. 10 represents a vertical section throughone of the hammers and its actuating member. Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate respectively an end wall and a' spacer of the support.

The stringed instrument, which I have selected for illustration as being one of those on which the attachment'may be used, is a Zither formed in the usual way and provided with a groupv of melody strings 20 and aI plurality of groups 21 of chord strings. There may be two melody strings for each tone, as shown, but for simplicity I shall refer to them as though there were but one string associated with each hammer.

The attachment includes a support formed in any suitable manner so that it may be secured to the body of the Zither, preferably to the straight end thereof. Said support may comprise the end walls 22, a. top wall 23, a bottom wallv 24, and an eX- terior metal casing 25. The support projects above the plane of the strings and its top wall may project far enough to overlie the bridgewire 26 and a portion of the strings. Spacers 27 are employed and they are glued or otherwise fastened in the support, and they may be shaped as shown in Fig. 6, or at intervals these may be replaced by spacers 28 which are shaped like the end Walls to form intermediate supports for one of the cross rods to be described.

Each of thejspring hammers comprises a leaf spring shank 29 and a head 30 ofl wood or metal at the free end thereof. The actuating member 31 therefor is shown as a hollow bar formed of sheet metal, bent to provide a top wall and parallel side walls. The bottom wall is formed by a fiat bar 32 which projects forwardly from the ends of the top and side walls, and which is secured between the margins of the side Walls by suitable fastenings 33. The actuating member thus consists of a tube which is rectangular in cross section. Each member is mounted to move above a pivot 34 arranged transversely above the strings and supported by the end walls and the spacers of the support. The pivot may consist of a rod or wire as shown.

The movement of the actuating members about their' pivot is limited by a cross wire or rod supported by the end walls and the spacers 2S, and curved slots 36 formed in the side walls of said members.v The rear portion of each hammer shank extends through the associated tubular actuating member, and its extremity is secured in a clip 37 formed on the end of the top wall.

The clip 37 extends upwardly and rearwardly and the rear` end of thevhammer shank is consequently 'bent so as to cause the middle portion of the shank to rest upon the bottom wall of the actuating member. The springs are all above-the cross wire or rod 35 and rest thereon,A the resiliency of the springs being suflicient, in view of the arrangement thus described, normally to cause the actuating members to remain at rest with the hammers above their associated strings and yat an acute angle thereto.

.The bar 32 extends forwardly to a point adjacent the head of the associated. hammer, and its upper surface is provided with a strip 137 of felt or other cushioning material, and it serves as a stop to prevent the vibration oi the hammer head when the actuating member, after'having been oper.

ated, is released and returned to its angular position. K

The player, in operating` a hammer, depresses the` actuating member 31. from the inclined position to the horizontal position shown .inI Fig. '3. During the initial downward movement of said member about its pivot 34, the shank of the. hammer is pre vented from swinging downwardly by the cross wire 35, but, when the top walll of the actuating member engages the shank of the hammer, it -orces it downwardly and impels thev head of the hammer against the string. lVhen the actuating member comes to a state of rest, the stop bar 32 is inthe horizontal position shown in Fig` 3, wholly out of contact with the hammer so as to permitthe hammer to vibrate .against its associated string. `When the player releases the actuating member, the pressure of the rear portion of the shank of the hammer upon the cross wire or rod 35 returns the member to its initial inactive position and the elongat-l ed stop member engages the hammer shank and holds it from vibrating. The endfof the top wall of the actuating member defines the node of vibration of the free end of the shank of the hammer, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. i

Referring now to F 7 to l2 inclusive, another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in which the stop bar is movable about a pivot separate from that about which the actuating member is moved, and a separate spring is utilized for returning the actuating member and the spring hammer to their normal positions. The actuating member is indicated as a whole at 40, and it is provided at its rear end with depending ears 41 which are mounted upon a pivot 42, consisting of a rod or wire supported by end walls 43 and certain of the spacers which constitute a portion of the support. The actuating member may be made of metaland the body portion thereof is tubular Vin iform and substantially rectangular in cross section. The shank of the hammer 44 is secured in clips 45, 46, formed at the ends of the actuating member. A spring 47, having one end engaging the, under side of the body of the actuating member and its other end secured to the support, tends to hold the actuating member and the hammer in thin normal position at an acute angle to the associated string and with the hammer head relatively remote romthe said string. The spring 47 crosses the pivot 42 and lies between the ears. 41 ofV the actuating member. Thesnpport does not differ materially from that described in connection with the -irst embodiment of the invention, and it` com-prises the front wall 147, top wall 48, botto1n`wall 49, end walls 43, and spacers 50, 5l.. An inclosing casing of metal 52 is employed as in the at-` tachmentffirst herein described. The springs 47 may be secured to a block 53 formed on or secured to the inner face of the front wall 14.7 by a bar 54. Ii' desired, however, the ends of the springs may be secured in any other suitable way, as by means of a cast metallic strip. ,A

yThe voscillatory movement of each actuating member. is limited by a cross rod or wire 55, passing through curved slots 56 in the ears 41 vand supported by the end walls and spacers of the support.

The stop bar, which holds the hammer from vibrating when the actuating member is in its normal position, is indicated as a whole at 57. It passes through the tubular body of ythe vactuating member and its rear end is pivoted upon the rod or wire 55. The free end ofthe stop bar is provided with a strip 58 Vof felt or other cushioning material .upon :its upper face for engagement with the head of the hammer. The pivot 42pis in a horizontal plane below the plane of. the pivot rod or wire 55, and in a vertical plane relativelyvremote from the vertical plane of the pivot rod 55. Consequently, when the vactuating member `is Ydepressed about the pivot 42, the hammer is advanced longitudinally relatively to the stop 57, so that the head leventually clears the end of said stop. If desired,'the stop may be provided' with a cam or wedge projection 59, on which the endof the actuating member will ride .so as to depress the free end of the stop member relatively to the free end of the hammer, as indicated in Fig. 9, the tubular bodyy of the actuating member being sufficiently large to permit the relativey pivot 42, and, as it 'moves dovvnvvarvdly,l the stop member 57 Y' moved aboutuits pivotl 55, With the result that the hammer head is projected beyond the end of the stop and the ends of the hammer and the stop are separated by the engagement of the cam projection 57 with the yend of the clip 45. Continued depression of the `actuating member throws the hammer head, against coming to a state of restas .soon as Lthe `end wall of. the slotvengages the ,pivot 55.

The free end of the hammer vibrates rapidly against the string and produces a'succession of notes, provided the actuating member be held in its depressed position. lVhen the actuating member is released, the spring 47 returns it and the stop 57 to their raised positions, and, as these parts move upwardly, the hammer is retracted rela tively to the stop to cause its head to ride up on the end of the stop and rest upon the felt cushion 58. As a result, the hammer is prevented from vibrating when it returns to its normal raised position.

In both constructions which I have herein illustrated and described, the actuating member is mounted to swing about a pivot and. its movement is limited by a cross Wire passing through slots formed in the sides of said actuating member. In both constructions, the hammer and the actuating member are returned to inactive position by spring pressure, in one case the rear end of the shank hammer constituting the return spring and in the other case a separate spring as at 47 being employed for the purpose. In bot-h constructions, there is a separate stop associated With each hammer, which underlies the hammer and which is moved to an inactive position in respect of the hammer When the actuating member is depressed, and which automatically engages the hammer when the actuating member is released, to prevent vibration thereof.

It is quite evident that the herein described invention is capable of various other embodiments and that various changes may be made in the details of the structure which I have herein described without de- )arting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims. While I have illustrated the attachment as being more especially useful in playing the melody strings of the Zither, it is quite apparent that it also may be employed for playing the chord strings. The supports of the tivo actions, which I .have herein described, are

and. normally holding the illustra-ted as being made of Wood and inclosedv within a metallic casing, but of course it Will be understood that these supports may be made in any suitable Way so as to hold the cross Wires or pivots in the desired positions, and, to secure the proper spacing ,of the actuating members and the associated hammers in the present case, the supports may be secured to the end of the Zither body by fasteners of any suitable kind, this being a feature of detail which needs no eXplanatiom Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described a Way ot mak- 1 ing 4and using the same, although without the associated string, the actuating member.

attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of itsuse, what claim is: K

l1. A pl( ying attachment for Zithers, comprisin'ga plurality of spring hammers, an( a plurality of relatively movable stops associated with and underlying the hammers free ends of said hammers from vibrating.

2. A playing attachment for Zithers, comprising a plurality of spring hammers, a plurality of relatively movable stops associated With and underlying the hammers and normally holding the free ends of said hammers from vibrating when in their inactive positions, and means for moving each stop, independently of the others, to permit the associated hammer to vibrate.

A playing attachment for Zithers, comprising a plurality of spring hammers, an actuating member associated with each hammer, and a stop associated With each member beneath the associated hammer and normally holding the free end of the said hammer from vibrating.

Ll. A playing attachment for Zithers, comprising a plurali-ty of spring hammers, a plurality of pivoted actuating members, a pivot for said mem-bers, and a plurality of stopsprojecting from said members beneath the hammers and normally holding the free ends of said hammers from vibrating.

5. A playing attachment for Zithers, comprising a plurality of spring hammers, a plurality of pivoted actuating members, a pivot for said members, a plurality of stops projecting from said members beneath the hammers and normally holding the free ends of said hammers from vibrating, and means for limiting the movement of said inembers about said pivot.

6. A playing attachment for zithers, comprising a plurality of spring hammers, a plurflity of actuating members to which the rear ends of the hammers are respectively secured, a pivot on which said members are pivoted, and a stop associated with each actuating member underneath the associated hammer and movable to inactive position on the actuation of said member.

7. The combination With a Zither, of a playing attachment comprising a plurality of spring hammers associated with and normally at an acute angle to the several strings, and a plurality of stops located between the hammers and the strings and normally engaging the free ends of the hammers and holding them from vibrating.

8. The combination with a Zither', of a playing attachment comprising a plurality of spring hammers associated with and normally at an acute angle to the several strings, a plurality of stops located between l the hammers and the strings and normally engaging `the free ends of the hammers and holding them from vibrating, and means for depressing each stop to release the associated hammer and permit its vibration.

9. The combination With a Zither, of a playing attachment comprising a plurality of spring hammers associated With and normally at an acute angle to the several strings, a plurality of stops located between the hammers and the strings and normally engaging the free ends of the hammers and ,holding them from vibrating, and a plurality of hammer-actuating members associated with said hammers and said stops and operable' to aetuate said hammers and to move said stops to inactive positions.

10. The combination with a Zither, of a playing attachment comprising a plurality of spring hammers associated With and normally at an acute angle to the several strings, a pivot about vwhich said hammers are movable, and a plurality of stops associated With said hammers and located between the hammers and the strings and relativelymovable about a pivot.

'In 'testimony whereof I have aixed my signature. y

VHARRIE A. BALLARD.

Copiel of this patent may be obtained `for ve cents each', by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

